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Private nonprofit · 4-year

East-West University

Chicago, Illinois

20
F
DR Rating
DegreeReturn Rating — Poor value

A 0–100 composite of ROI, graduate earnings, net price, debt and graduation rate. How it’s scored.

Poor return
$-74,882 over 10 years

Estimated for a typical student paying the average net price over 4 years.

On these figures the cost and debt outweigh the earnings premium.

44.4 yrs
Break-even
-78%
10-year ROI
$47,174
Median earnings as of 2024
45% of East-West University students earn more than a typical U.S. high-school graduate (about $28,000/yr) ten years after starting — measured from IRS tax records, not surveys.

The numbers behind the verdict

$21,697
Average net price / yr as of 2024
$47,174
Median earnings (5 yr) as of 2024
$32,287
Median earnings (1 yr) as of 2024
$26,986
Median debt at graduation as of 2024
16%
Graduation rate as of 2024
45%
Earn more than a HS grad as of 2024
25%
Repaying their loans (3 yr) as of 2024
37%
Retention rate as of 2024

Lifetime ROI: the long view

Cumulative net gain over a high-school-only earner at different career lengths, with tuition and debt interest already subtracted. Built on IRS-verified federal earnings — not self-reported surveys.

$-74,882
After 10 years
$-53,142
After 20 years
$-31,402
After 30 years
$-9,662
After 40 years

Conservative: holds year-5 earnings flat (no raises). Adjust the assumptions, or see the highest 20-year ROI colleges.

Equity & access

Who the college serves and whether the payoff reaches everyone — earnings ten years after starting (IRS-linked), with access measures from federal enrollment data.

By gender
Women
$28,073
Men
$32,426

13% gap between the two groups

By family-income background
From lower-income families
$27,656
From higher-income families
$45,760

40% gap between the two groups

By student status (FAFSA)
Dependent students
$32,233
Independent students
$27,954

13% gap between the two groups

54%
First-generation students
60%
Take federal student loans
86%
Born in the U.S.
Who studies here
White 2%Hispanic 31%Asian 1%Black 42%Other 25%

Undergraduate enrollment by race/ethnicity. Federal data does not report earnings by race.

Net price by family income

What students actually pay after grants and scholarships, by household income as of 2024.

Family incomeAverage net price / yr
Family income $0–$30k$19,168
$30k–$48k$26,636
$48k–$75k$29,284
$75k–$110k$30,852
$110k+

How East-West University compares

This college against the Illinois and national averages — higher earnings and lower cost/debt are better.

Graduate earnings over time

Median earnings of East-West University students 10 years after entering, by cohort year as of 2024.

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Best-paying majors at East-West University

Fields of study ranked by their own ROI — earnings five years after graduating against the cost and debt. Click a major for the deep dive.

MajorCredentialEarnings (5 yr)Median debt10-yr ROIVerdict
Business Administration, Management and OperationsAssociate's$47,174-50%Poor return

Calculate your own ROI

Adjust the assumptions for your situation — the verdict, break-even and chart update live.

ROI at East-West University

Or pick your to set cost

Estimates from federal data; your result will vary. How this works.

10-yr net gain
Break-even
10-yr ROI

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Admissions & profile

Admission rate
0
Average SAT
0
Median ACT
468
Undergraduates

Location

Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard. ROI is computed by Degree Return — see how. Read the methodology. Data as of 2024.

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